Using a capital “D” for Disabled is a powerful linguistic shift from “person with a disability” to “Disabled person” (identity-first language). It treats disability as a proud, shared political and cultural identity rather than just a medical condition.
However, the use of “Disabled artists” within this survey also recognizes that this shift is adjacent to and often made possible following the disability rights movement in the 1980s and 90s which worked hard to humanize individuals, separate their identities from negative medical stereotypes and gain rights-affirming language in politics and policies.